Cuban Revolution Restaurant & Bar

3.5 stars, rounded up because the selection of aged rums is excellent. We ate at Cuban Revolution before a show at DPAC. Super convenient to the venue. The Zacapa rum was our favorite — yummy!
We had the fried plantains (not the sweet ones), which are good. The tuna tartare was yummy, although the «toast» it comes with is your typical soft French bread (meh). The Caribbean BBQ beef sandwich was excellent, though (again the bun was just so-​so), and the kale salad as a side was good. The bean burger is okay, but nothing exciting.
Our server was brand new, but she was a trooper and very sweet. When the bar substituted something (I’m still not sure what it was) for the aged rum I ordered that they were out of, she made sure they comped it. I’m not sure why they didn’t tell us about the substitution, but no harm no foul.
Nice, casual, easy dinner. I would go back.

Tried for 1^st time tonight and loved it. Years ago I had chicken empanadas in Bogota Colombia. Up until tonight I had not found any in the US that has compared. The ones here were fantastic. They had a slight kick which meshed perfectly with the rice and beans. i can highly recommend. And the grilled plantains were to die for. Husband does not like spicy and his chicken burrito was perfect. The drinks and atmosphere was a plus and we will definitely be back. There’s something for everyone. And the tres leches cake was as good as everyone says. Wonderful meal before a show at DPAC.

I really, really, love this little restaurant! I don’t know how the entire menu is stacks up because the week my show played Durham, NC I just keep ordering the Lechon Asado (roast pulled pork) over and over and over again. It’s like yummy, salty, goodness. The tres leches cake is also fantastic and their bar serves up a great dark and stormy. The restaurant participates in the Rewards Network Dine for Miles /​Points program, which is awesome for travelers. And they will open even when it’s snowing outside and the rest of the state of North Carolina is shutting down and staying home. #boom!

Food was great and authentic BUT waiter said although I had prepaid $ 15 for a $ 30 dollar food voucher it wasn’t honored on holidays. When I argued he honored that but then refused to honor the check in offer because it was a holiday. Lol

From the start of the visit, this place was subpar and aggravating. Hostess didn’t greet us at all, just walked off to check on a table. Food was boring and bland (gave me beef tacos instead of pork). Wouldn’t allow me to mix and match tacos (all priced the same). Server was utterly apathetic.

Really good Cuban and Carribean food. Have eaten here 3 – 4 times preceeding concerts at DPAc which is right across the street. Service is most friendly. Lots of TVs if you want to watch the latest sports. I had fish bolisitas (Cuban tacos) and shrimp and corn chowder. Nice kick! My companion had a large salad and an order of large grilled shrimp with some type of remoulade. We were both pleased.

Our first time at CR. We loved it and will go again. Great vibe in the restaurant — good music. Tables are a little close, but that just adds to the ambiance. I noticed they had a very large outdoor seating area. The hostess was very calm and pleasant even tho there were a lot of guests waiting. She also chatted with us about her favorite foods on the menu which was very helpful. Food was fantastic! Shrimp and Corn chowder spot on! I had a pork dish that I would def order again. Service was very nice, but I think our server forgot to turn our order in. We told him we were seeing the show and we still made it, but we had to prompt him to check on our food after the new party next to us got their food before we did. Mistakes happen and they were very nice about it. Nice to have a good Cuban Restaurant near DPAC. CR was recommended to us by the Valet guy at 21c Hotel.

Not bad. Had the traditional Cuban Meal, the Ropa Vieja Platter. It’s a little bland. Had to add the mango salsa from the chips and salsa. Wife had the empanadas, which were excellent! The Jazz Band that night, 12÷19÷15 was great!

The Piña Coladas are amazing, and that is all that really matters right?!
I love this place! I haven’t had one bad thing here. My favorite menu item would have to be a tie in between the Shrimp Bolsitas and the Cuban Roast Pork. The burgers come on King’s Hawaiian rolls YUM! Try the Mahi Mahi Burger, promise you won’t be disappointed! & Don’t forget to get the chips and mango salsa as an app! (usually can get them free with a Unilocal check-​in)
Great place to come for a date night & leave those annoying children of yours at home :-P Outdoor seating is so beautiful on a nice and warm evening.

I haven’t tried the food here, but thoroughly enjoyed the 30 minute salsa lessons (which are free), and then the actual «dance party» which costs $ 5 to pay. It’s a very conducive environment to which you can practice, and gives guys a very safe environment to ask girls to dance (because they will almost always say yes!).

From the second I walked in, I loved this place. Great atmosphere — fun, exciting, yet modern and clean. I ordered the espinaca and garbanzo tapas plate, along with a chicken empanada. Super clean taste — fresh and simply made. Lots of garlic, so if garlic bugs you, maybe skip the spinach dish. Also had the chips with mango salsa — is a sweet salsa, and not at all spicy. Was an interesting change from your standard Mexican salsa, but not my fave (my preferences only, no complaints about the dish itself). Our server was super engaging and friendly. He was totally swamped, and the restaurant was packed, but he managed to keep a cool head the entire time.
Don’t go here if you want to eat quickly — the food prep is slow. But if you have an hour or more, I highly recommend this unique spot.

This restaurant is located in the historic American Tobacco neighborhood in Durham, where there’s a lot of restaurants, businesses, fountains, and even a basketball court. It has an interesting vibe and could easily be something you’d find in Berkeley Telegraph Ave. I guess my business colleague wanted me to feel I’m still on the West (or Left?) coast upon arrival!
I do like the restaurant ambiance — very casual, fun, artsy with all those paintings of Fidel, JFK, Marilyn Monroe, Malcolm X, Che Guevera, and Lenin. I didn’t see Chairman Mao however. Its also part sports bar.
As for the food, I’d rate a solid 3.5 stars:
* Free chips and salsa from Unilocal Check-​In was excellent — the mango salsa has some sweetness that worked well here.
* I got the Havana Pork Entrée. The menu described mojo or adobo seasoning but I’m not sure that’s what I had — it was closer to carnitas-​style rice bowl that I could get at Chipotle. It had rice, tasty black beans, and some pretty well-​seasoned shredded pork. Maduros (plantains) were pretty darn tasty along with the toast. Side salad a bit uninspiring. Overall the dish tasted pretty. good but I’m wondering where’s the Mojo or whether a stronger sauce is needed.
* Guava Gelato was pretty good — although it was served in a champagne glass and requires a long, thin spoon. Was a bit firm so probably frozen but that’s OK.

Nope! Skip this place. Food is terrible and staff is either clueless or inexperienced. I got asked about my order 3 times before I got it, which was a disappointment once I ate it. Heated up rice, overcooked meat, and the list goes on. Skip the place, do yourself a favor.

The food looked good that others got. I waited fifty minutes and then had to go back to work. The waitress couldn’t understand enough Spanish to know the menu. This place sucks.

If you’ve been to Cuban Revolution, then you understand why it’s so poorly rated. All due respect, but this place is terrible. The sole half-​gold star goes to our server, as he maintained class and hospitality throughout our less than desirable experience. We expected Cuban rhythm and flavor, what we got was some half-​assed ghetto front atrociously attempting to market sham fare in liquid and solid form. Simply put, if I wanted Old El Paso salsa and frozen Salisbury steak meatballs microwaved in Heinz 57 chili sauce, I’d have went to the cat lady’s house down the street after a visit to the food pantry. The meatballs were runny and consistently cold in the middle, mirroring the meat product only acceptable as fashioned by Encore Frozen Foods (For taste and more, it’s Encore!). Keeping the pace, the Mojitos were a poorly executed, watered down mess. The signage says Cuban, the food and drink scream Cuban, but there is absolutely NOTHING Cuban about the Crenshaw… I mean Cabrini… I mean Cuban Revolution.
P. S. Live music most nights, but why the hell would I want to listen Southern Blues/​Jazz at a Cuban restaurant?!

This establishment is definitely one of the more unusual eateries on the American Tobacco campus in downtown Durham. From the large oil portraits of Fidel Castro, JFK and Marilyn Monroe to the small black and white TVs playing Cuban Revolution related footage from the late fifties and early sixties to the blaring music (unfortunately more Miami Sound Machine than Buena Vista Social Club), the proprietors have certainly achieved a vibe that’s unique. Wish I could say the same for the food.
I went to the Cuban Revolution with a couple of work colleagues, one of whom recommended it highly. After a little chit-​chat over the free chips and sweet mango salsa that came with my checkin (thank you Unilocal!) we gave our orders to the Bob Marley look-​alike waiter.
I ordered the Ropa Viejo — which the menu claimed was a staple dish in Cuba — at my waiter’s recommendation. My colleagues went traditional with a pressed Cuban sandwich and a Havana salad. I wish I’d done the same.
The bed of rice underneath the shredded meat and veggies of my dish was cold and not very appetizing, the meat itself a little too salty. So after a couple of bites I desperately turned my attention to the tiny side of salad and toast.
The toast was warm, crispy, and wonderful! I dipped it in the shredded meat and veggie stew and the combo didn’t taste too bad, so I ordered some more toast (my waiter seemed genuinely surprised). The salad was nothing more than a few chopped onions and peppers, so I mixed it into the meat to try and absorb some of the salt, ignoring the astonished glances my co-​workers threw in my direction. I’m not sure Cubans would eat their Ropa Viejo the way I did, but it worked… as long as I carefully avoided the rice.
Finally, I got to the best part of my plate — the banana fritters. Now I’m a bit of a banana fritter connoisseur, and these were some of the most perfectly balanced fritters I’ve ever had. Warm, not too hard or soft, and semi-​sweet.
Overall, the Cuban Revolution was quite a polarizing experience. But I’m happy to give it another chance, just so I can have some more of those impossibly perfect banana fritters.

I love Cuban Revolution and have always been a fan of the food, location, and atmosphere. That is where the 4 stars come in. I however would rate the service as subpar. We ordered simple appetizers (nachos and fries) and somehow those came out way after our food. We even had to wait an increasingly long amount of time for any food to come out, though by no means was the restaurant crowded.
I even had to ask about the fries because they seemed to have been forgotten and I was informed that they had to restart them because some fell on the floor :(
Aside from slow service my meal was as delicious as always.
Now onto the Unilocal deal that they offer… We had one, as well as our table mates. We read the fine print carefully and it said nothing about two different paying parties not being able to redeem it. Stated «Only 1 voucher (s) can be purchased and redeemed per person. » When it came time to pay our bills we were told only one couple could redeem at a time even though that was stated no where. It is a good deal but that should be clearly stated somewhere. It was disappointing that we had to choose which couple could redeem while the other could not especially since we based the amount of food ordered on the deal.

Okay I was impartial about writing a review for this establishment simply because I am from Miami and Miami is about as close as you can come to good authentic Cuban cuisine without going to Cuba. Aside from that my brother’s wife and in-​laws are Cuban, so I get the real deal cuban food.
Cuban Revolution is centered in the American Tobacco district located in downtown Durham, providing both indoor and outdoor seating. On this visit I chose the outdoor dining, which was great and the atmosphere inviting. It’s positioned right beside the amphitheater where they have nightly entertainment. The evening I dined there a local blues group was playing. The outside dining area is well kept and spacious, so you’re not right on top of other patrons. They also are accommodating to dog lovers, providing water bowls to keep your pooch hydrated. Very pet-​friendly. The service was okay, not much more to say about that. I can’t really speak about the inside dining area, only stepped in for a quick moment. I do not recall the décor being reminiscent of Cuba other than a large portrait of Che Guevara, but again did not really spend time in the main dining area. However the food was okay, I was planning to order the typical plantains, rice and beans with fish well because I do not eat chicken, beef or pork. To my dismay they did not offer a fish dish other than the Mahi Mahi and Salmon burgers. So that was the only bummer. The Mojitos were pretty refreshing although a little lite on the rum though, cmon.
All in all, I really enjoyed myself and would definitely dine here again. If I could make one suggestion, that would be to add a fish entrée.

Decent food and great décor ruined by abysmal service.
There was a wait around 6:30 on Saturday, which was to be expected, and we were greeted promptly by our server after being seated. And that was the only prompt thing he did, the entire night. I got up to do his job maybe 6 – 7 times throughout the meal (got our waters refilled, got drinks, got boxes for the food and got the check). He would see me up there and make a comment like «oh, you already ordered from the bar» but still never checked on us, even after repeatedly seeing me up there. I would be obviously seeking him out, but he seemed to want to avoid us. At one point, we even made that eye contact he was so desperately trying to avoid. But, he just did a 180 and went back to hanging out in the back.
The strange thing is – we counted the number of tables seated for a total of 15 tables as the place cleared a bit around 8. There were 9 servers who all were congregated in the back near the kitchen, while I was running for drinks.
Also, when I went to order a first drink from the bar and the bartender told me the total, I asked if it could instead be added to my bill at the table, and she rolled her eyes and walked away mumbling.
To demonstrate that this was not our own isolated problem, the table next to us ended up walking out without eating. Their server was equally absent, but apparently the table had seen him for enough time to order drinks (lucky, I’m jealous). However – those drinks weren’t there after ~30 minutes. One guy at the table flagged someone else who could finally deliver it. And, when their food finally came (it does take a while, but we were expecting that and okay with it) apparently everything was wrong. So one guy from the table went up to the host stand to pay and leave. I felt especially bad for these folks because they had 3 children who were obviously very hungry and upset. Also, the reason I know all of these intimate details is because our tables were like, 4 inches apart.
I did try to seek out the manager, but as we were getting up, she was running upstairs and yelling at someone about going to smoke a cigarette.
Really, really strange experience. This place could be amazing if it weren’t so poorly managed.

Stopped in here for a beer and a app so not a lot to say about the food in this review unfortunately. But, that said, the crappy nachos I had where pretty crappy. They tasted more like a late night drunken concoction of chips, cheese from a jar and other toppings all piled together. The service was actually pretty good and my server was busting his hump to make sure all his tables where taken care of. The best part about this restaurant is the outdoor patio that is open to the american tobacco campus/​tower. I ate out there and enjoyed the great weather along with my dirty and sticky table. I’ll probably avoid this place in the future unless the weather is nice and the patio has a place to sit.